


golden sky and soft sand

by Peruse



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, KH3 spoilers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-03-28
Packaged: 2019-11-28 23:37:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18215201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peruse/pseuds/Peruse
Summary: Riku turned at his name, the bridge they were sitting on was steady, the sun turned the sky a luxurious gold, and Sora was staring at him with that smile of his. His name was a prayer on Riku's lips, a promise that he couldn't say and words that wouldn't come. But when Sora smiled at him like that, Riku could let himself think that might be okay.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> thanks discord friends, I couldn't have written this without you lmao
> 
> bug me on tumblr @bestperuse

"Hey, Riku."

Riku blinked away the sunset, eyes burning. With a lazy tilt, he looked to his left.

"Yea?"

Sora didn't respond, nor did he look away from the ocean. The warmth of the sand and the golden sky tinted his complexion a rich bronze and Riku didn't realize how much he had missed it.

"Sora?"

Sora's fingers gripped the rough edges of the bridge and he let out a short huff. In a reckless movement he swerved his entire body until his chest nearly hit Riku's. His knuckles were white, his left wrist looked so awkward it had to hurt, and his eyes were burning and oh so _blue_.

Riku couldn't have looked away if he wanted to. He couldn’t have looked away if Sora asked.

"Riku."

"Sora."

"Riku." Sora said, mouth turning up into a soft smile. Sora's smile got a touch softer and his eyes a little gentler and Riku guessed his smile must’ve looked the same.

Out of the corner of his eye, Riku noticed movement, but Sora's eyes were still looking at him -only him, and his eyes looked even more.... more _something_ than before.

"I'm happy you're here, Riku." He didn't get a chance to respond before he felt a hand on top of his. Not letting himself think twice, Riku twisted his wrist and curled his fingers into Sora's. His hand wasn’t soft, it was full of calluses and bumps and scars, but it felt so gentle and sweet in his. Sora always ran warm, but that warmth felt comforting and safe and like _home_.

"Me too."

Sora ducked his head, almost in embarrassment and Riku rubbed his thumb across Sora's wrist. His breath hitched and Riku stared enraptured, and unshamefully so, at those eyes peeking up under from dark lashes.

"Sora." This time Sora didn't respond and Riku tightened his grip, feeling his own hand burn in response.  Almost without thought, his other hand appeared, and Riku leaned forward; cradling Sora's hand in-between his. Sora looked up, eyes magnetized onto their joined hands.

"Sora" He repeated. Sora, Sora, Sora, _Sora_

Sora swallowed.

"Riku." It was a whisper, a plea, almost soundless and very soft on Riku's ears.

"Sora, I-" No words came to him. What could he say, Riku didn't know. He had so many words tangled in his mind, wrapped around his throat and held warm in his hands. None of them felt right or easy to say.

He swallowed.

"Riku." Sora would know the words to say, he always did. He always knew what Riku needed to hear or what Riku couldn’t say himself. "Riku....you have to wake up."

And he did.

Riku's eyes opened to darkness and the distant sounds of the ocean echoing in his ear. He pushed himself up with one arm, his blanket fell into his lap and he stared at his hand.

It felt cold.

Sora.

Before Riku could even register what happened, his fist slammed into the mattress. He heard it creak and whine, but it stayed standing. In a single, smooth movement, he pushed himself to his feet and began pacing. It didn't get rid of his energy. It didn't make him feel better.

The idea of it felt laughable.

The room felt too stifling, small and cramped and cold and-

Riku hit the ground in a controlled roll. He didn't stop to think once, he pushed off onto his feet and ran; eyes blank and his mind too full. It was only when his feet met the cold ocean that he stumbled. Looking up, Riku jerked his head away as he saw the bridge that let to smaller island.

Sora 

Riku looked up at the sky and even the steady circle of the moon felt cruel.

His hands clenched into fists and his gaze moved to the dark horizon. His throat felt raw and his eyes stung. His lungs hurt and he forced himself to breath.

"Sora"

It was quiet, there was no response; Riku didn't know if expected one or not.

"Sora" He repeated.

"Sora" Again and againandagain-

Riku's feet hit the dock. He walked over. He sat down.

His hands bit into the splintered wood and he watched the moon.

When the sunrise finally came, Riku just stared.


	2. Chapter 2

He's dreaming.

Riku knows it; the air is humid, the sand is warm on his feet, and the hand in his burns even brighter. Riku moves and doesn’t hesitate to stare, there is no illusion of restraint nor of grandeur. Instead he drowns in those blue eyes like a man cast out to sea.

Sora

 _Sora_ smiles.

"Hi, Riku."

Riku's throat aches. A single word spills out unprompted, the tone heady and promised and _reverent_.

" _Sora_."

Sora's smile is worried and Riku feels the weight of it in his stomach; it’s lead and poisonous and toxic and he can't-… he can’t deal with it, not with the air so warm, not while Sora's hand is in his, not when Sora feels so _real_. He swallows it away; it lingers in his throat and that’s good enough.

Riku wants to tease him, wants to knock that sad smile of his face; wants to replace it with happiness, indignation even. Instead when he opens his mouth, something else falls through.

"I've missed you." Sora's sad smile doesn't go away and Riku feels like a failure.

"I miss you too, Riku." Sora's hand tightens and his fingers purposefully squeeze his and he starts walking along the sandy beach; Riku is following before he knows Sora is moving. It's quiet for maybe a minute before Sora starts talking.

Riku was never one for small-talk, especially with how Sora tended to say nothing about everything, but now Riku couldn't hear enough. He soaked up the words like oxygen, listening to how sand was fine and gulls were nesting and how _Sora’s_ tone lilted and softened, fell and rose.

Sora stopped and fell and Riku nearly went to catch him before he realized. Sora grinned up at him and still holding his hand -Riku would _never_ let it go, fully dropped to the dock. Riku froze, standing in an awkward half-crouch, too tall to stand, but unwilling to sit.

"Riku?"

Riku swallowed and stared at Sora.

He sat down.

It was sunset and Riku felt ill.

"It'll be okay, Riku. I know it."  Riku felt anger coat his teeth and swung around to look at Sora. He looked serious, calm and that was so much worse.

"Sora, how can you say that, you-" His mouth dried and his tongue felt heavy, the words didn't want to come out. They never did, even when he was awake

"Because you'll save me." He sounded so confident that Riku couldn't look him in the eyes and instead he dropped to their intertwined fingers.

"Sora..."

"I'm working on saving myself too” Sora said, his voice light but focused. He brought their clasped hands to his chest and Riku’s hand shook as he felt the steady beat. His eyes shot up and his gaze met clear blue eyes.

“But I know you'll probably find me first Riku, you always do."

In contrast to Riku, Sora was smiling.

"I believe in you Riku, and that's what we do, right?" Sora laughed and Riku couldn't help but drink in the sound.  He stared at those bright eyes thriving with life and let himself forget he was dreaming.

"Of course, Sora."

Sora dropped their clasped hands and Riku’s grip tightened against Sora’s thin fingers. Blue eyes leaned forward and Riku desperately missed the steady thrum of Sora's heart. "And even if I'm not here right now, our hearts are always connected. We've been through so much that we’re always together, even if it doesn’t feel like it, Riku."

He would never get tired of Sora saying his name with all the casualty and certainty of the worlds. Sora's eyes were shining and earnest and Riku stared into their depths.

"Each time something has happened, a new enemy or a new trial or problem, you've come out even stronger, Riku. So, we'll find each other, because as long as we’re in each other's hearts, we're always connected. I know it!"

Riku stared into those eyes like a parched man. Sora's other hand clasped around Riku's and he felt a jolt of fear in his chest at the movement. He didn't need to glance down to know that Sora had his hand trapped within his own smaller ones.

"So I don't need to even promise, and you don't either, because you'll save me. I know it." Sora's smile was solid and confident in a promise that Riku couldn't even speak of. His hands were blazing and Riku could feel Sora’s steady pulse under his fingertips; Riku's shoulders dropped a fraction.

"Yea, like each of us is holding onto a little part of the other." Sora beamed and Riku felt like his chest was open for the first time in a month. He took a deep breath and marveled at the ease of it. Sora squeezed his hand and Riku felt the words flow out of him a little easier.

"Our hearts are always in tune. So yea, even if we’re not physically together, I’m always with you." Sora's grin melted into something softer and indescribable and Riku felt himself unravel.

Nothing more was said and Riku _dropped_.


End file.
